Snooker stars flock to Cookstown

Kevin Hughes

The quality of play may not quite be up to the standard of the Masters last week but, this Saturday January 24, the Pot Black club will host the biggest tournament of the year in mid-Ulster.

From early morning until late in the evening, 23 players will contest the Barry McNamee Memorial tournament at the Burn Road premises in memory of the Dungannon professional, who sadly died in a road accident twelve years ago.

Top attraction is Kilkenny pro David Morris, three times Republic of Ireland amateur champion, who showed his class in the televised UK Championship before Christmas, beating reigning world champion and world number one Mark Selby 6–4 in the second round, before narrowly losing to Stehen Maguire in quarter-finals.

Other professionals and former pros involved include ex-world championship semi-finalist Joe Swail from Belfast and the man he beat in the quarter-final, local Patrick Wallace who promotes this event, as well as Dubliners Michael Judge, Joe Delaney, Colm Gilcreest and Rodney Goggins, Coleraine’s Julian Logue and Banbridge’s Joe Meara. Top locals include Magherafelt’s Brian Milne and Cookstown’s Mickey Quinn.